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Connecting and Correcting : a Case Study of Sami Healers in Porsanger Miller, B.H

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Connecting and Correcting : a Case Study of Sami Healers in Porsanger Miller, B.H Connecting and correcting : a case study of Sami healers in Porsanger Miller, B.H. Citation Miller, B. H. (2007, June 20). Connecting and correcting : a case study of Sami healers in Porsanger. CNWS/LDS Publications. CNWS Publicaties, Leiden. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/12088 Version: Corrected Publisher’s Version Licence agreement concerning inclusion of doctoral License: thesis in the Institutional Repository of the University of Leiden Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/12088 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). Connecting and Correcting A Case Study of Sami Healers in Porsanger Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van Doctor aan de Universitet Leiden, op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof.mr. P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op woensdag 20 juni 2007 klokke 16.15 uur door Barbara Helen Miller geboren te Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, USA in 1949 Promotiecommissie: Promotor: Prof. Dr. J.G. Oosten Referent: Mw. Dr. N.J.M. Zorgdrager Overige leden: Prof. Dr. P.J. Pels Prof. Dr. P.J.M. Nas Mw. Dr. S.W.J. Luning Connecting and Correcting A Case Study of Sami Healers in Porsanger CNWS Publications Leiden CNWS Publications, Vol. 151 CNWS publishes books and journals which advance scholarly research in Asian, African and Amerindian Studies. CNWS Publications is part of the Research School of Asian, African and Amerindian Studies (CNWS) at Leiden University, The Netherlands. All correspondence should be addressed to: CNWS Publications c/o Research School CNWS Leiden University PO Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands. [email protected] www.cnwspublications.com Title: Connecting and Correcting A Case Study of Sami Healers in Porsanger Author: Barbara Helen Miller Leiden: CNWS Publications. (CNWS Publications, Vol. 151) ISBN: 978-90-5789-151-9 Subject headings: Sami; shamanism; anthropology; healing; Arctic studies; Laestadianism Printing: Ridderprint, Ridderkerk. Cover design: Dolphins on Fire, Wouter Buning, Groningen Layout: Johanneke Oosten Coverphoto: Barbara H. Miller © Copyright 2007 Research School CNWS, Universiteit Leiden, The Netherlands Copyright reserved. Subject to the exceptions provided for by law, no part of this publication may be reproduced and/or published in print, by photocopying, on microfilm or in any other way without the written consent of the copyright-holder(s); the same applies to whole or partial adaptations. The publisher retains the sole right to collect from third parties fees in respect of copying and/or take legal or other action for this purpose. CONTENTS Acknowledgements IX Map of North Scandinavia X Map of Porsanger Municipality XI Introduction 1 The Project 1 Meeting the Sami 1 Central questions 3 Introducing the Coastal Sami 4 Social Developments among the Coastal Sami 4 The impact of World War II as related by my informants 8 The situation after World War II 12 Construction of this book 15 1 Studies on Sami Shamanism 17 Lapponia 18 Helpers and songs 19 The drum and drum performance 21 Fragmenter i Lapska Mythologien 26 The gods 27 Prophecy 28 Recent studies in traditional Sami shamanism 29 The Sami noaidi 30 Noaidi and shamanistic activities moving into modern times 34 Gand 34 Categories of sorcerer and shaman 37 Trance – ecstasy 43 2 Laestadianism on the Coast of Finnmark 49 The conversion of the Sami in Finnmark 49 Influences from Sweden 52 Laestadianism 53 The founder and early years of the movement 53 The spread of the movement and early opposition 59 Core issues and debates 62 V Laestadianism among the Coastal Sami in Porsanger 66 Core issues and debates 68 Laestadian meetings 73 Conclusions and Remarks 76 3 Encounter Experiences 79 The presence of exceptional beings 79 Gufihttarat (subterraneous beings) 80 Other underground people connected to a location 84 Fárru(travelling group) 86 Rávggat (water trolls) 87 Eahpáražžat (dead-child beings) 88 Gomit (ghosts) 95 Gáccit (groups of helpers) 97 Vuoigna (spirit) 99 Fárrosaš, Mannasaš and Ovdasaš 100 Animal helping-spirits 105 Bijat (spell) 106 Conclusion 109 Encounters 109 4 Discourse on the Noaidi and the Healer 111 Use of the term noaidi and shaman 111 Noaidi and shaman in local newspapers of today 111 Current local views on the activities associated with thenoaidi 114 Johan Kaaven (1837-1918) 120 Johan Kaaven as depicted in literature 120 Facts about Kaaven’s life 127 Johan Kaaven as healer 128 Lars Pedersen, also known as Gamvik (1873-1942) 136 Facts about Gamvik’s life 136 Gamvik as healer 137 Healers in the period 1935-1970 140 Healers 140 Present day healers 142 Britt Kramvig’s Ingmar 142 Mikkel Gaup 144 Hjalmar 147 Discussion 150 VI 5 Nanna 155 Nanna’s Life 155 Life in Sandvik 156 Life in Stabbursnes 158 Children 159 Making a living 160 World War II 160 Life on the farm 163 Dealing with Norwegian law 164 Relations with Reindeer Sami 165 Social problems 167 Laestadianism 168 Healing 168 Cupping 169 The inheritance from Gamvik 175 Diagnosis 177 Nanna’s discourse 181 The discourse of Nanna’s patients 184 Summary 190 6 Sigvald 193 Sigvald’s Life 193 Fishing rights 199 Sami identity 205 Healing 211 Prelude to inheritance 211 Transfer of Nanna’s gifts 213 Cupping 214 Nanna’s further teaching 217 Diagnosis 221 Dreams 223 Establishing Sigvald as healer 226 Sigvald’s discourse 228 Discussion 234 7 Connections. Summary and Conclusions 237 Continuity – Worldview 237 Roles and functions of the former noaidi and of the present day healer 237 VII Elements from the Laestadian worldview 239 Transmission 241 Trance and vision 243 Location and time 245 Connection – correction 247 Baptism and naming 249 Practices 250 Different traditions/families 252 Dynamics of articulation 254 Conclusion 256 Glossary 258 Index of Authors 261 Bibliography 263 Samenvatting 269 Appendix: A day of cupping 273 Curriculum vitae 280 VIII ACKNOWLEdgMENTS I wish to thank those many people who contributed to this research project. My first expression of gratitude is to my former mentor Dr. J. H. Kamstra for encouraging me to undertake research. I am grateful to Dr. Jens-Ivar Nergård for allowing me to join him on a fieldtrip that led to contact with my main informants and to Dr. Jojada Verrips for guiding my initial steps. I thank the Sami healers who generously granted interviews: Mikkel Gaup and Hjalmar Persen. I am greatly indebted to Nanna Persen and Sigvald Persen. Their support and cooperation has been instrumental and basically decisive for this project. They provided me with many interviews, and additionally, gave access to their patients. I want in particular to thank Sigvald for his active involvement. I thank the residents of Porsanger Municipality who shared with me their experiences and insights: Johannes A. Guttorm, Rávdná Guttorm, Karen Rávdná Eira Guttorm, Per Johannessen Guttorm, Nils Persen Guttorm, Anna Guttorm, Ruth E. Forsberg, Solveig Tangeraas, Nan Persen, Åge Persen, Ole Eliassen, Sigrid Alette Eliassen, and Nils Anders Guttorm. Members of the ResearchGroupCircumpolarCultures and the ResearchGroup Pentecostalism of the HollenwegerInstitute commented on earlier versions of this dissertation and I greatly appreciate their help. I am grateful to Pastor Stef de Wit for the sharing of his knowledge; to Willy van Tellingen for many services rendered; to my aunt, Ruth Freeman, for reviewing and editing; and to my mother, Helen Miller, for her availability and support of my work. I am deeply grateful to you all. IX MapofNorthScandinavia X MapofPorsangerMunicipality XI INTRODUCTION The Project MeetingtheSami The Sami are an indigenous people of northernmost Europe. They have also been known by other names. Norwegians used the term Finn but perhaps best known is the term Lapp, used especially in Finland, Sweden and Russia. The indigenous word for the area of Sami settlement is Sápmi. For the Sami, the term Lapp carries pejorative connotations and its use has become less frequent. However, the terms Finn and Lapp are still found in place names, so that the area of Sami settlement in northern Sweden bears the name Lappmark and in the northern province of Norway, Finnmark. In addition, there are maps that designate the entire area of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia as ‘Lapland’. The Sami are historically a dispersed and culturally divided people. Today the Sami number approximately 70,000, and are a minority group within Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The Sami population has its highest concentration in the province of Finnmark, Norway. My interest in the Sami culture stems from 1993 and led to the present research project that explores Sami healers. At that time, I was enrolled at the C.G. Jung Institute in Zürich for Analytical Psychology and also finishing my Master of Arts degree, having studied texts on early Chinese Alchemy. I was intrigued by comments made by researchers that suggested a possible relationship between Chinese Alchemy and early Chinese shamanic practices. I had already probed literature in the English language on shamanism, and I was looking for an opportunity to meet a shaman. Therefore when the opportunity arrived, I was ready to pursue it. This came as an invitation to take part in a fieldtrip offered by a visiting lecturer to the C.G. Jung Institute, Professor Jens-Ivar Nergård, at the Institute for Social Sciences, Tromsø University. The fieldtrip was to be to the most northern province of Norway, Finnmark and would possibly include meeting a Sami who was said to be a shaman by Dr. Nergård. The field trip, comprised of three people, Dr. Nergård, a family member of his and myself, took place in September 1993 and included meeting Mikkel Gaup who indeed acknowledged he was a shaman, and a woman who referred to herself as a healer/helper, Nanna Persen. Dr Nergård had visited these people on previous fieldtrips, and he indicated that it had taken him a considerable time to locate them.
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